Mercedes-Benz might finally have a direct competitor for the Porsche 911 - the 2015 SLC AMG. The smaller version of the SLS AMG has been spotted testing by the Nurburgring for the first time today and the SLC AMG test mule seen here gives every indication that Mercedes might have a winner in their hands. Riding on the same platform as the SLS AMG, the SLC AMG features a slightly shorter length both in the wheelbase and for the front overhang.

The new model will lose the SLS AMG's gullwing doors, trading them in for more conventional ones, and eventually spawn a convertible variant. In terms of power, we could see something like AMG's 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine along with an entry-level option in the guise of a V6. The top-of-the-line SLC AMG could produce as much as 500hp, giving the new model a distinct advantage over its rival Porsche 911 and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. As this is just the first test mule ever spotted of the Mercedes-Benz SLC AMG, it will absolutely look much different when it eventually makes its way out of the German company's factories in 2015.